Apparatus for compiling statistics



(No Model.) A 3 sheets-Sum 1;. H. HOLLERITH.

APPARATUS FOR GOMPILING STATISTICS.

Patented Jan, 8, 1889.

1. Wall 3 S-heets-Shget 3.

(No Model.) H. HOLLERI-TH.

APPARATUS FOR COMPILING sTATigTlcs. No. 395,783. Patented Jan; 8, 188-9;

N. mvlilbogrnplm'. Washingiun. ll (1 -UNITED STATES PATENT O FICE.

HERMAN I-lOLLE-RITH, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 395,783, dated January8, 1889.

Application filed September 23, 1884. Renewed October 27, 1885- Againrenewed January 4, 1887. Again renewed September 8, 1888. Serial No.284,939. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HERMAN HOLLERITH, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York city, in the county and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for CompilingStatistics, of which the following, together with the accompanyingdrawings, forms a specification.

This apparatus or system is applicable to the compilation of suchstatistics as the population-statistics of a census, or the statisticsof registration of births, deaths, and marriages, which are compiled bycounting or adding single units as persons in the above.

Although applicable to various kinds of statistics, I will describe myinvention as applied to the compilation of the population-statistics ofa census.

The returns of a census contain the names of individuals and variousdata relating to such persons, as age, sex, race, nativity, nativity offather, nativity of mother, occupa tion, civil condition, &c. Thesefacts or data I will, for convenience, call statistical items, fromwhich items the various statistical tables are compiled. In suchcompilation the person is the unit, and the statistics are compiledaccording to single items or combination of items. Thus it is requiredto know the number of persons returned as whites, colored, males,females, or as carpenters, blacksmiths, &c., or as born in certainStates or foreign countries. In such cases single items are counted.Again, it is required to know the number of native whites or of nativewhite males of given ages, or of groups of ages, &c., as in what istechnically known as the age and sex tally, or it may be required toknow the numbers of persons engaged in certain occupations, classifiedaccording to sex, groups of ages, and certain nativities. In such casespersons are counted according to combinations of items. Amethod forcompiling such statistics must be capable of counting or adding unitsaccording to single statistical items or combinations of such items. Thelabor and expense of such tallies, especially when counting combinationsof items made by the usual methods, are very great.

The object of my invention is to provide an apparatus or system whichwill reduce the labor necessary in the compilation of such statistics,which will increase the rapidity of making complicated tallies, andwhich will insure accuracy. In other words, the object of my inventionis to generally facilitate the compilation and increase the scope ofsuch statistics.

The apparatus or system hereinafter described and claimed is designedmore especially for carrying into execution anew method devised by me,and embodied in a separate application filed October 27, 1885, SerialNo. 181,104, and renewed September 8, 1888, Serial No. 284,938.

This method consists of several successive steps: first, the returns aretranscribed to a strip or sheet of paper or other suitable electricallynon-conducting material, each statistical item being recorded by a holeora combination of two or more holes punchedthrough the paper orequivalent material in certain relative positions; second, verifying theaccuracy of such transcription; third, counting the number of timescertain statistical items or combination of items are reported byelectro-mechanical means.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a transverse sectionof the apparatus used for perforating the strip of paper used intranscribing the returns. Fig. 2 represents a part plan view of thesame. Fig. 3 represents a tool used in connection with the aboveapparatus for perforating the paper. Fig. 4. represents a scale used forverifying the transcription of the returns. Fig. 5 represents a.transverse section of the counting apparatus. Fig. 6 representsapartplan view of the same. Fig. 7 represents an electro-mechanicalcounter used in connection with the counting apparatus illustrated inFigs. 5 and 6. Figs. 8, 9, andlO are diagrams showing the arrangement ofwires and electrical connections for making the various tallies. Fig. 11is a side elevation of a portion of one end of the drum, perforatedstrip, and contactpoints, showing application of signal-circuits. Fig.12 is a diagrammatic view illustrating a portion of the circuitarrangement, Fig. 10.

The transcription of the returns to the sheets of electricalnon-conducting material roller to another over a die-plate, as shown inFigs. 1 and 2. with a series of holes, placed staggering, extendingacross the width of the paper strip, as shown in plan in Fig. 2. Abovethe die-plate a is the guide-plate I), provided with holes correspondingto the holes in the die-plate ct. \Vith a tool consisting of a plainpunch, a provided with a suitable handle, a, as shown in Fig. 3, holescan be punched in the strip of paper in suitable relative positionsaccording to the holes in the guide-plate b and die-plated. The holesare suitably lettered or numbered on the guide-plate b, as shown in Fig.2. At the extreme end is a hole marked persons, separate somewhat fromthe remainder, the object of which will hereinafter be more fullyexplained. The paper strip is drawn to a certain position when thevarious statistical items for. a given person are recorded by punchingsuitable holes in a line across the strip, being guided by letters onthe guideplate. A hole is thus punched corresponding to person, then ahole according as person is a male or female; another recording whethernative or foreign-born; another, either white or colored, &c. There areabout one hundred ages to be recognized. To facilitate this, two holesare used to record each age, therebeing two sets of ten holes each,marked from 0 to 9, respectively. Thus 0-0 would represent lessthan oneyear of age, O-l one year of age,

' 1-0 ten years, &c.

' items relating to one person have been thus The occupations can berecorded by using a series of holes suitably lettered, each occupationbeing recorded by a combinationof two holes. Thus, ab, 00,170, &c, wouldeach represent a single given occupation, according to a prearrangedschedule. 'With twenty-six holes in this-way three hundred andtwenty-five combinations could be made, the number of combinationspossible following the wellknown mathematical law of combinations.

There are thus three ways in which statistical items can be recorded:first, by single holes, (as above described for recording sex, race,&c.;) second, by combinations of two holes, each hole being in'adifferent set, (as described above for recording ages;) third,bycombination of two holes, both holes being in the same set, (asdescribed above for recording occupations;) or combinations of thesemethods can be followed.

It isnecessary in case of census-statistics to use combinations of holeson account of the larger number of statistical items to be recognized.When the various statistical recorded or transcribed, the paper strip Pis drawn forward and the items or data relating tothe next person arerecorded, any suitable system of notation being used to identifyeachtranscription. In Fig. 2 is shown a practical recordfor two persons,numbered-1 and 2,re-'

The die-plate a is provided spectively. No. 1 is the transcription for aforeign-born white male three (0-3) years of age, while No. 2 is thetranscription of a 11ative white female thirty (3-0) years of age. lVhenthe various items have been thus transcribed, it maybe desirable ornecessary to verify, entirely or in part, the accuracy of suchtranscription. For this purpose a scale of card-board, thin metal, orother suitable material may be used, arranged as shown in Fig. 4,it-being lettered and numbered corresponding with the guide-plate ofpunching apparatus. This scale is placed across the paper strip, beinglocated in position by the holes marked person at each end. Thetranscription for the given. person can thus be read according to thelocation of the holes.

Any errors can now be corrected by punching holes in proper places andcovering all holes. wrongly punched by small seals of paper or othersuitable electrically non-conducting ma-- machine, is theba-r DjFigs. 5and 6, supported by lugs d from pins 6 c at eachend, one of which pins,e, is provided with a screwthread engaging with screw-thread in.corresponding lug, d,a'nd. is connected with wheel E, by means of whichthe bar D can be given a slight lateral motion. Passing through the barI), and suitably insulated from each other, are the metallic pins'orpointers 1). These pins are arranged in relative positions correspondingto the centers of the holes in the dieplate a, Fig. 1. The pointers orpins 19 press against the drum A, and, together with the drum A andmetallic brush 1, can each be made part of an electric circuit. In an.electric circuit with each pointer can be placed an electro-magnet, 'm,Fig.- 7, the armature m of which is attached to a leveiioperating anysuitable mechanical countersuch, for example, as are used forregistering the revolutions of a steam-engineas shown at M in Fig. 7. Ifthe paper is now drawn through the counting-machine, the circuit throughany given pointer 19 is closed and broken each time a hole in the paperstrip passes under thepointer, the armature of the magnet beingattracted when the circuit is closed and withdrawn by the spring of thecounter when the circuit is broken, thus registering one for each hole.

, scribed will show the numbers of males,of

females, &c., reported in that district. I11 this work a difficultymight be experienced, as the paper strip is liable to move or shiftgradually from one side to the other of the drum A while being drawnthrough the apparatus. To allow for this, two pointers,g g, are placedat each end of the bar D, Fig. C. These pointers are so placed that whenthe bar D is in proper position relatively to the holes in the paperstrip the pointers g g will constantly be over the paper just to eitherside of the holes corresponding to persons. Each pointer g, togetherwith the drum A, is put in circuit with a suitable electric bell, S, asshown in Fig. 11. Should the paper shift to either side, the circuitwould close through one of the pointers, ringing the corresponding bell.The bar D can be then shifted to one side or the other by means of thewheel E, according to which bell rings.

By the above method of course only items recorded by single holes can becounted. To

count items recorded by combinations of two holes, each hole being in adifferent set, as in recording age, as above described, the arrangementshown in Fig. 8 is followed, in which 0' 1 2', &c., represent wiresconnected with corresponding pointers of first set of holes, or tens ofage, while 0 1 2 3 represent wires connected with corresponding pointersof second set, or units of age. The electro-magnets m of the countersare placed as shown by the small circles. The wire marked 0 is connectedwith magnets 00,01,02, &c., while wire marked 0 is connected withmagnets 00, 10,20, 30, &c., as shown. If, now, a hole in the paper stripcomes under the pointer 1" and another hole at the same time comes underpointer 2, the circuit would be closed through electromagnet 12 andcorresponding counter would register. Should a hole, however, come.under pointer 2' and another under pointer l, the circuit would beclosed through magnet 21, and its corresponding counterwould register.In this way a counter can be arranged for each age.

The method followed when counting combinations of two holes, both holesbeing in the same set, is shown in Fig. 9. Five wires, (1. h 0 (Z e, arerepresented, each wire being c011- nected with a corresponding pointer.Electromagnets al), ac, ad, &c., are shown, one for each combinationconnected with the corresponding-pointers. From an inspection. of thedrawings it will be seen that should the two holes come under pointersto and l), the circuit would be closed through the electro-magne't aband corresponding counter, and only this counter would register, for thedirect circuit through any other magnet would remain'open. Should theholes come under pointers a and c, the circuit would be closed throughthe magnet ac, &c.

It will be seen that by the above methods any combination of two holescan be counted or tallied. In statistical work, however, it is oftendesirable to tally by combinations of more than two holes or items-as,for incolored males, and sixth, colored females. For

such purposes I use secondary circuits for the electro-magnets of thecounters, which circuits are controlled by the electro-magnets ofordinary telegraphrelays or other suitable apparatus in circuit with thepointers p of the co'unting-machine.

For an age and sex tally the arrangement is shown in Fi 10. Theelectro-magnets m of the counters are arranged in circuits, as shown,these circuits being broken by relays 0', which are connected incircuits with corresponding pointers, p, of the counting apparatus.Relays NV and C are connected with pointers corresponding to white andcolored, respectively; relays N and For with pointers corresponding tonative and foreign born, and relays H and F with pointers correspondingto male and female, while relays 0 0, O1, 02, &c., one for each age areconnected with the pointers representing the ages in same way as themagnets shown in. Fig. 8. Let us suppose the record corresponding to anative white male of two years of age passes under the pointers p.Relays \V, N, M, and 02 would then close the circuit through mag net N'W M 2 and the corresponding counter would register. If therecordcorresponding to a colored female ofthree years of 'age passes under thepointers 7'), the relays G, F,

and 03 would then close the circuit through magnet G F 3, therebyregistering one on the proper counter. In this way, by suitablearrangements of magnets in circuits which are broken by relays operatedby circuits through pointers p, any desirable combinations ofstatistical items can be counted or tallied.

Various modifications of the above methods of carrying out my inventionmay be used. Thus, instead of punching a strip of paper, a perforatedstrip may be used, in which all but the required perforation could becovered by pasting over them strips of paper, as shown, for example, inmy application, Serial No. 240,629. Again, instead of a single holerepresenting a single item, it could be used to represent a combinationof items. Thus. one hole might represent native white males, anotherwhite females, &c. l

It may sometimes be desirable to count groups of single items, as groupsof ages or groups of occupations, &c. This can of course be done byplacing a single magnet in several of the counting-machine arrangedcorrespondingly. A relay placed in the'circuit shown in Fig. 10 at 50(see Fig. 12) could be controlled by the hole corresponding to personsin such manner that the circuit through the electro-magnets m could onlybe closed when the holes were under their corresponding pointers.

The counters could of course be constructed in many different ways.

It is evident that by modification of the apparatus hercinbeforedescribed cards orsheets of electricallynon-conductin g material,suitably perforated, could be used instead of the strip of paper, asdescribed. In such case the drum A would be replaced by a fiat platewhich would be made to press against a series of pointers connected withcounters, in the same manner as hereinbefore described. This card wouldbe placed in position over these pointers, and the plate then pressedagainst the pointers, in which case the circuits would be closed throughproper magnets and the corresponding counters would register, anillustration of which is given in my application, Serial No. 240,629.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with perforated sheets of electricallynon-conducting materials, said perforations representing statisticalitems, of electro-magnets and mechanical counters in circuits controlledby said perforated sheets, substantially as and for the purposesspecified.

2. The combination, with a series of mechanical counters, as described,and a perforated strip of paper, said perforations representingstatistical items, of the drum A, bar D, provided with pointers p, andelectro-magnets 1%, said electro-magnets being in circuits through thepointers 19 and connectedlnu'th and operating the before-mentionedmechanical counters.

,3. The combination, with a series of electro-magnets and the series ofmechanical counters actuated thereby, said electro-magnets beingarranged in circuits controlled by re1ays,'of a perforated sheet ofelectrically non -conducting material, said perforations representingstatistical items controlling the circuit through the electro-magnets,of the relays above referred to, substantially as and for the purposesdescribed. 1

4. The combination, to form a system for automatically compiling andrecording statistics, of a strip of non-conducting material perforatedat intervals to designate separate items, grades, &c., pertaining to asingle individual or' object, a series of electric circuits,contact-fingers, or terminals in each of said circuit-s to vary thecurrent in said cir-' cuits as each perforation registers with thecorresponding contact-finger, and a recording mechanism for each item,grade, 850., operated by an electro-magnet included in a circuit whosecurrent is thus varied by the con tact finger or fingers entering theperforation or perforations in the strip representing the item to berecorded, substantially as described.

5; I11 a system such as described for automatically compiling andrecording statistics, the combination of aseries of independentmechanical counters for recording the separate items, an electro-magnetfor actuating each of said counters, a series of electric circuitsincluding said electro-magnets, a series of contact-fingers controllingsaid circuits, and

a strip perforated at predetermined intervals denoting separatestatistical items, each of said'perforations being located in line withand actuating one of the said con tact-fingers, whereby each perforationin the strip representing an item, quality, 850., is caused to actuate acontact-finger and thereby energize the electro-magnet whose circuit iscontrolled by the finger or fingers representing the item to be recordedon the mechanism actuated'by the said electro-magn et.

6. In a system such as described for automatically compiling andrecording statistics, the combination, with a series of electriccircuits, a series of electro-magnets connected thereto, a recordingmechanism for each electro-magnet, and-a series of circuit-breakerscontrolling the flow of electricity in the before-mentioned circuits, ofa movable recordstrip provided with a series of indicatingpointsrepresenting statistical items for actuating the circuit-ln'eakers,whereby each item or combination of items represented upon saidrecord-strip is automatically distributed and recorded, substantially asdescribed.

" '7. In a system such as described for automaticallycompiling andrecording statistics,

the combination, with a series of recording instruments,a series ofelectro-magnets for actuating said recording-instruments, a series ofelectric circuits including said. electro-magnets, and a series ofcircuit-breakers for controlling said circuits, of a record-stripcontaining a series of indicators for actuating the circuit-breakers,said indicators each representing separate items characteristic of theperson or thing, the whole so combined and arranged, substantially asdescribed,whereby each item or series of items pertaining to eachindividual is recorded under its appropriate head as a statistical item.

HERMAN HOLLERITH.

WVitn esses: Q

' FRANCK D. J OHNS,

JNO: M. HENDERSON.

